Across The Hall
by mermaid12108
Summary: Clary has a problem. As if moving from her life home wasn't bad enough, now she's got another problem on her hands—a big one. And it all comes down to one name and a million steps back: Jace Herondale.
1. Prologue

**Chapter Song(s):**

**The Sun Is Rising~Britt Nicole **

**Tomorrow~Avril Lavigne **

**When The Darkness Comes~Colbie Caillat **

* * *

Moving, sucks. Period. But it sucks a little more when the place you are moving to is like moving to a different planet. "Clary! Time to go! The trucks packed!"

I sighed, looking around my room one last time. The walls were bare, my art painted over white on the walls. Looking out the window, I took one last look at the grassy hills and the blooming, colorful flowers and the apples growing on the trees. I took one last look at the mailbox that had once said 124 FRAY and then + Lewis in messy fingerprint, with a purple and yellow handprint pair behind it. Even when we were eight, Simon's hand was bigger than mine. I'd delayed the move in every single way, signing up for everything I could. I now knew how to crochet, how to milk a goat, how to dye a giraffe without harming it, and how to tell twins apart, as well as the tango. I still sucked at all but one. Here I had danced since I was three, here I lost my first tooth, here I lost my last one. Here I'd taken my first steps. In the art store near the interstate I'd said my first words. I'd gone my whole entire school career here from 4-k to graduation. This place made-up who I was, and it made it so hard to let go. "Clary! Come outside _now_!" I ran my hand against the wall and closed my eyes, running down the stairs before I could make myself cry again.

It was my turn to drive and my mom was sleeping in the passenger seat when we made it into the city. My eyes widened, and my mouth dropped open. The sun was just setting, so the water was reflected a vibrant orange and the lights started to come on in each spiring buildings. I'd seen pictures and video of this, but seeing it in person didn't even compare. I followed the GPS and made it to the place where I would spend the rest of my life, at least until collage ended. I had an audition for Juliard on monday. I shook my mom awake, and then we started unpacking the contents of our whole lives and lugging it up the stairs into the apartment building. It was colder than I was used to, and I suddenly wished for a hoodie. As we moved ourselves in to the apartment, my mom straightening up the kitchen and me retreating into my new room. I climbed atop the bare mattress, gazing out of the two winds that were right beside it's spot backed against the one wall. I sat my chin on my hands and watched the city people pass by, from business men to moms with babies to business women to runners to teens to collage kids to everything. As time moved on, the passerby came few and far between. I pulled on my pajamas and made the bed, snuggling under the comforter. I watched the people carry on their way as my eyes fell shut.

* * *

**I'm no stranger to moving, so I know how it feels. Anyone with me? Something very interesting will happen in the first chapter. This was just sort of a prologue to shape Clary's character. You like?~Mermaid12108 **


	2. Chapter 1: Veins

My hands shook as I sat in the waiting room, wishing they would just call my damn name already. "Clarissa Fray?" I looked up at the lady holding the clipboard and stopped picking at a lose thread on my dress. "The judges are ready for you." I stood up and uncrossed my legs, the burgundy dress whispering across my knees. My mom had bought it from a store called Waldorf Designs and presented it to me that morning. My heels—which felt so foreign to me, making my feet hurt and made me almost a foot taller, at least that's what it seemed like-made sharp noises that bounced off of the wide, broad walls. I stopped in the middle of the well-lit stage, facing the panel of judges and the empty seats behind them.

"State your full name and age." A woman in the middle said, folding her hands together on top of her clip board.

"Clarissa Adele Fray, eighteen."

"You will be given a word and you are to draw whatever comes into you're mind. Your word is veins." I turned to the giant sketch pad that stood on the easel and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. It's just you._ I told myself_. _They aren't even here_. I picked up the lead stick and began to draw.

In the end, I had drawn a girl with curly hair sitting on a grassy hill, her back to the viewer as she stared at the fading sun. Lines raced across the ground and then wrapped around her legs and arms, twinning around them like vines. Each star had a lightning strike coming from it, stopping just above the girls head, and shoulders. The sky was dark with the departing sun's ruins. Stars started to show themselves but just barely, and the moon emerged the slightest, emerging from the side of an apple tree. I set the charcoal and lead and turned to the judges, my pulse pounding and my hands sweating but thankfully not visibly shaking. "What does your picture say that pertains to the word veins, Ms. Fray?"

"I think that our veins are what make us up, what we are made of, save for a few important things. In this picture you see that this is where the girl belongs, and it's grounding her. It makes her up. If she were to be placed anywhere else, she would not be herself."

_But she's trying her hardest_. I thought as I finished explaining.

"Very good, Ms. Fray. Your results will be mailed to you." The woman said, going to town on her clipboard. That was it? My whole future in just a few word exchanges and a picture? As the lady with the clipboard led me to the exit, I decided that it was.

* * *

As I stepped into the apartment and shut the door behind me, my mom looked up from her HGTV magazine. When she saw that it was me, she set it down and sat up straighter in her chair. "How did it go?"

"I don't know? Good? Bad? Horrifying? Those judges have the most expressionless faces in the history of faces."

My mom laughed and picked up her magazine again, shaking her head. "You'll be fine, Clary."

"Oh, really? How do you know?"

"I just do, miss attitude."

"If you say so. Is it okay with you if I go out tonight?"

"Yes, but be home by curfew."

Seeing my look, she laughed again. "I'm kidding. But try to be home before one."

"I'll try, but with all the one night stands I have planned..."

"You are horrible. Truly horrible."

"Love you too, mom." I walked to my room and shut the door, kicking off my shoes and collapsing on the bed. I felt like a creepy stalker girl always staring out the window at random people. I didn't know why, but it calmed me. Took my mind away from the fast pace of the city, even though they were all still rushing around. I sighed and rolled onto my back, pushing off of the bed and onto the wooden floor. I changed out of the dress and into shorts and an off-shoulder top. I wanted to dress for the occasion, but I also wanted to dress like myself. I put on lip gloss, some mascara and some eyeliner, which was a big effort on my scale. Throwing my phone and keys into my pocket, I went into the living room. Mom had fallen asleep in her chair again. I put a blanket over her, and then wrote her a note, placing it on top if her phone and left, closing the door quietly behind me.

* * *

I clutched the bright green flyer in my hand as I tried to navigate the busy streets. Come on, it was bound to be here somewhere—bingo. I got in line behind a group of punk kids, feeling out of place. "Hey." A kid with green dreads said. "Sweet hair. Where'd you get it done?"

"Gene central."

"Where?"

"Meaning it's natural."

"Nah, man. No way." He didn't have time to make fun of my hair anymore, because the line moved up.

"I.D." I gave the scary-looking bouncer my I.D. and walked into the club as he waved me in. All I could say was _day-um_. I could feel the vibrations of the music all through my bones, and pulsing light made the darkness outside non existent but still managed to keep it's own darkness inside of the club. I made my way over to the bar, leaning against it. I didn't have the level of courage needed to go onto the dance floor, not yet. "Hi." A voice said next to me. "Can I buy you a drink?"

I turned around and I swear, it would be a miracle of my mouth didn't fall off.


	3. Chapter 2: Acid

"Um, sure." I said and then turned to the bartender. "Cherry coke, please." I'd never drank underage, and I never planned to. "Just a coke?"

I nodded, suddenly really nervous. I'd never had the best track record with guys—basically it didn't exist. "Can I ask your name, coke girl?" I looked into his odd eyes, not-so-stealthily biting my bottom lip.

"Clary. How about you, golden boy?"

"Oh, no, bad high school memories coming back."

He seemed like the popular kind, but then again I wasn't supposed to judge—

The look disappeared from his face and then was replaced with a grin and amusement. Of _course. _

"I'm kidding. Besides, can they be considered memories if I just graduated?"

With a bang, the fizzy brown drink appears in my side line of vision, saving me from saying anything in return. I reach for it, but a tan hand snatches it before I can. The boy smirks at me, the drink in his hand. "What about you, Clary? Got any collage plans?"

"Yes, but it's none of your business."

"Ouch. I'm Jace, by the way." He finally handed the drink to me, our hands touching. I tried to keep the shiver that took over my nerves down, but I was as jumpy as a squirrel, which meant that it wasn't possible.

"You've never been here before, have you?" Jace asked as I took a long sip. I winced as the carbonation in the drink exploded in my throat. "How can you tell?"

"Well, if you're hanging by the bar, you're either new or a hooker. You don't look like a hooker, so I shot for the only other option."

I choked on my drink, coughing as the bubbles attacked my throat. "Um, thanks?"

"Don't mention it. Pan-die-mon-ium is pretty boring on a thursday night, but I know another place that is a lot more alive." He glanced at the bartender rolling his golden eyes (Were those contacts?). "Relax, Tim, you know your club is awesome."

"I thought it was pan-demon-ium." I said, confused. Did this boy not know how to pronounce stuff or…?

He stared at me for a moment, and after a few seconds of uncomfortable staring, I finally got the pun. "Oh…"

Did that smile ever leave his face? If I looked closely, it appeared to be a smirk. God, he must be cocky. He probably thought I'd see him naked within the hour, and that I'd be all over him. I'd been voted most likely to refuse a dare in the yearbook, so…why not egg him on and then burst his pretty little bubble?

"But, about that place. Is it still open?" I gave him a grin that was a little on the seductive side. The look in his eyes said that he'd won. Ha. Little did he know. I took his hand and followed him out of the club. Nervousness churned in my stomach, pleading with me that this wasn't going to end well, but I forced it down. No more being careful. I wanted to live while I still could. Night had fallen, and as Jace hailed a cab I looked across the city, at all of the beautiful lights and buildings, street corners and performers, all of the _life_. Before I knew it I was being tugged into the cab. I crinkled my nose at the smell. Jace saw it and laughed. "So, you're not only new to pandemonium, but you're new to New York as well."

I turned to him, felling my eyebrows furrow. "What makes you think that?"

"Because you're reacting to the cab like it's a blue turtle that has never taken a shower in it's life."

Oh. Well I guess that did make sense, then. "Yeah, well you would be right. I'm from Tennessee, actually—and if you say 'Well, great, because you're the only ten I see', I will be forced to reshape your nose with my fist."

"Nah, don't worry about that. Chessy, overused pickup lines aren't my style."

"And I'm guessing charm is?"

"I knew I liked you for a reason. Well, you're hot, but besides that."

What about _me_ could be considered_ hot? _

"Thanks, I guess."

"Eh. I bet you hear it all the time."

No, not really.

With the screeching of old breaks, the cab lurched to a holt. "Here we are." Jace leaned over and opened my door for me, and I got out. This club seemed so much more than pandemonium, and so out of my league. The title seemed to be painted onto the sign. _Acid_ glowed green on the sign, blaring out against the black backdrop. I could hear the electro dub step music from here, and I swear the green lights almost reached my toes. "Come on." Jace tugged on my hand, leading us up to the bouncer. "Hey Hodge. Can you get me and Clary in?"

The bouncer nodded, and lifted the rope, holding the rejects and the others waiting in line back with his hand. As soon as we stepped forward in doors, I was jerked into a room, and so was Jace, but he was grinning and I was screaming. "Relax! Madeline's cool." Oh, so my captor had a name then. Was that supposed to make it better or something? The room I'd been pulled into was full of neon glow, ranging from paint to glow sticks to—oh. I didn't know people glowed. 'Madeline' looked me up and down, her glowing purple lips twisting. "So, you're Jace's pick for tonight, huh?" So I wasn't the only one who could sniff out a player, then.

"Sort of."

"Sort of? How is that?" She asked as she disappeared behind a black curtain. It apparently wasn't that far because she could still hear me.

"I'm not much of a daredevil, and I'm getting ready to go to collage, so I thought I should live a little, and—well, the plan is to lead him on, and then—pop. There goes his ego bubble."

She came out of her curtain-wall grinning. She was also holding something neon with a lot of strings. "I know just the thing to do it."

* * *

I stared at myself in the mirror, denial making my palms sticky. The neon pink dress hugged my body and made me look like I actually _had_ curves. Little slices of the fabric crisscrossed across my stomach and my back, the rest of the skin left bare. True, it was a small gap, and it also just held the two dress pieces together, but my record was nothing, so it was a big step. My hair was tussled with streaks of neon color in it, and my makeup was all neon. My nails were neon colors (how did _that_ happen so fast?) and my shoes were…interesting. Circles of paint circled both of my upper arms, and glow sticks hung around my wrists, and neck. My sandals were glowing neon, the straps winding around my legs, feet, and toes (which were also painted neon). "Bongzo."

I turned around. "What?"

"It's something I used to say to replace damn."

"Oh."

"Go get him, girl." I grinned at her, and let her lead me out of the room. On the way out, she pressed a small button. When I emerged back into the hallway, so did jade. He was also all blowy, just not as much as me. His eyes widened when he saw, me but then his smirk was back in place. He then took me hand and led me under the curtain. I now got why they called it acid.


	4. Chapter 3: Acceptance Of Denial

I had this big plan. So, naturally, it all went to hell.

The sound of a lawnmower woke me up. I opened my eyes, groaning as the bright light forced the pain of being stabbed through my skull. Hangovers: _Not_ a good thing. I threw my legs over the side of whatever I was sleeping on. As I stepped down, my foot caught on what felt like a blanket. Well at least now I knew I was on a bed. I else noticed another thing pretty quickly. I was sporting the birthday suit. My eyes widened as I looked down at my self and to what I had thought was just my imagination. Jace snored in his sleep. He also had a impressive chest. _Clary, you stupid piece of idiot. What have you done? _My brain accused me. I grabbed my clothes, which had ended up in some corner. I didn't even begin to ponder how that happened. I pulled on my clothes (the neon mess was gone, all of it. It was now just my regular old clothes) and my shoes. I got the heck out of there, using the GPS on my phone to find my way back home. I ran up the steps, slamming the front door. I made a beeline for my room, slamming that door too. I listened for a few moments, but no sound came except the sound of the air conditioner buzzing through the walls. I sat down on my bed after discarding my coat. As I starred at my half empty closet, my shoulders shook with a heavy hiccup. It was just one, and then another, and then so masny that I couldn't keep count. I laid down on my pillows, not bothering to move the comforter from under me. Tears streamed down my face in streaks, not able to erase last night, no matter how much I wished they could.

"Clary?" I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes again, the sun had moved in the sky.

"Yeah?" I sat up, wiping my hand across my eyes in case there were any tears left. There weren't.

My mom shook an envelope in her hands and then handed it to me. I took it from her and tore open the adhesive seal, taking out the letter inside. I read it as I unfolded it.

_Ms. Fray, we are extremely delighted to welcome you into our Juliard family. Below, you will find the information needed to... _

I didn't even bother reading the rest. I'd gotten in. I'd made it. "Well? What does it say?"

I smiled up at my mom. It felt sad at happy at the same time. "That your baby's a Juliard girl." My mom grinned and hugged me. I squeezed onto her tightly, closing my eyes. She pulled away far earlier than I would've liked her to. "Sweetie, are you okay?" Concern deepened her green eyes so much like mine.

I mustered a happy smile. "Right as rain."

"Okay. Do you want some lunch? Chinese?"

"That sounds great."

As she shut the door behind her, my smile fell. _Maybe I should've auditioned for acting instead. _


	5. Chapter 4: Move In Day

**I'm trying to get better with the mistakes, but sometimes I skip over things or don't have time to spell-check. I hope you guys like this. But please let me know, did I go a bit overboard? I feel like a bit of a author slut. Someone asked if we'd get to see what led to Clace's one night stand, and the answer is yes, but in do time. Enjoy.~Mermaid12108**

* * *

Move-in day seemed unbelievably hectic. How could people have so much_ stuff? _And weren't animals banned from campus? Or maybe that was just some collages. And apartments. Yeah, I knew a whole lot of nothing. It only took me forever to find my dorm room. (That had to be a new record.) I'd requested a single. I didn't do well with roommates, as proven with the year Jonathan and I had shared a room. I'd put Nair in his shampoo, he'd put purple food coloring in my mouthwash, and it had kind of went downhill from there. I hauled the biggest, (but thankfully last) box to my room, hoping no one was there because I couldn't see anything over the stupid thing. Something, I'm not sure exactly what, sniffed my leg and dropped something in front of my foot. Now wasn't exactly the ideal time to play catch, but this mystery animal didn't seem to care. I hopped over the chew toy, pretty damn proud of myself when my feet landed safely on the ground and the box stayed put. Of course, when I stepped forward I ran into something, and I tilted back, knocked off balance. The heavy box also decided then that if it was going down, so was I. My back hit the tiled floors that covered the hall outside our dorm rooms, and I mentally cursed my art supplies for being so freaking heavy. I sat up and twisted around to where my stuff had scattered, shoving things into the box with more force than was probably needed. The person I'd collided with reached over and started helping me pick things up and drop them into the cardboard box. When there was only one tube of paint left we both reached for it at the same time, and when our skin touched I froze, then jerked my head up. I found myself meeting gold eyes. Gold eyes I'd remembered roaming every inch of my body, and full lips I remembered kissing. My breath caught in my throat, not quite able to wedge it's way out. It took a few tries, but finally, I found my voice. "T—thanks for helping me." I stuttered out before I threw the tube of gold sunrise in with the rest of it's buddies and bolted for my door. I didn't allow myself to breath until the door was closed and I leaned against it. I slid down in, burying my face in my hands. Shit. Just shit.

* * *

I stared as the steaming latte dribbled into the cup. The _Nesspresso _gurgled as it fulfilled my request for a chocolate spice latte. I was so focused on the foamy brown liquid that I didn't notice someone come up behind me. As a hand touched my hip, I spun around, meeting gold eyes. My back curved against the counter as he caged me in on all sides. "Hey, red." He said, and my breath caught. I'd had my full of ass-slaps and come-ons. None of those sleaze balls had effected me like this, so I had no idea why he did. _Because he actually won the prize. _Whispered that insanely annoying voice in the back of my mind. "Please get off of me." I said, finally pulling my eyes up to his. My heart pounded as fast as a humming birds, threatening to pounce out of my chest and strangle me. He shrugged his shoulders, never taking his eye off of me. Their intensity threatened to make me melt like the chocolate in my latte. "I'm not holding you down. If you want me to move, you can make me." He had a point. My brain told my arms to shove him away, but my arms didn't comply. As his hand that wasn't cupping my hand moved to caress my arm, my brain went to very bad, very naughty places. _Tell him to stop. Make him go away. Kick him in his jewels, something! _My brain commanded of me, but I was about 6000% done listening to it. "So what was earlier about?" Jace asked, but I was only partially listing. Most of my attention was focused on his fingers moving up and down my arm in soft strokes that turned my skin into a pile of fireworks and hot coals at the same time. "I mean, if last week was that bad, then boy is my face red, but..."

"Maybe I'm just to embarrassed to be seen with you." I shot back, gaining some of my sense back. But if he kept doing what he was doing, I was pretty sure I'd lose it again. His hand moved from my hip to my back, trailing over the skin that my shirt left exposed.

"If that were the case, then you'd already be gone."

"You're an asshole."

"I've been told that a time or ten. Look, I'm not trying to be a psycho perv or anything, but—"

His words cut off mid-sentence, because, being the massive idiot that I am, I'd kissed him.


	6. Chapter 5: There's No Undoing The Done

****Warning, this is inconceivably short, but I wanted to give you guys something, and I'm in a bad mood because my tiny, cute little hamster just bit the dust. And if you got the movie reference I just made, you are a cool cookie.****

He tasted like dark chocolate and salt, a mixture that made my senses spin. His hands gripped my back, pulling me so close to him that no part of us didn't touch. I entertained myself with exploring his sculpted muscles with my hands, marveling at how his t-shirt pulled taught over them, revealing a chest that belonged on a statue of a god. His hands touched me everywhere I wanted, and never where I wanted at the same time. His golden locks slipped so silkily over my fingers, like they were made to fit there forever. He smelled like the best thing in the planet, like a dark forest and cherries. Everywhere his fingers touched me, my skin felt like it was just recognizing it existed, zapping to life. His hands found their way up my t-shirt, warm against my back. A shiver raced across my spine as his fingers ran down my bare back, grabbing the edge of my shirt and pulling over my head. I leaned back on the counter, tipping over the coffee in the process. Warm liquid spread across the counter, in my hair, on my neck and shoulders. the heat was nothing compared to the inferno Jace's lips mad as they trailed across my neck, and up to my ear. His lips brushed across my ear as her whispered "Wake up, Clary."

I woke up with a gasp. I sat up, throwing the blanket of me and letting the cold air wash over my hot skin as the dream played over in my head. God, I was a dream slut.

* * *

I didn't care what time it was, even though it was one in the morning. I needed to talk to her. I bounded up the steps and pressed the buzzer over and over, pulling my black coat closer. It was starting to get really cold in new york, and way to early than I wanted it to. I heard footsteps pounding across the foyer, and then my mom threw open the door. "Clary?" She asked, looking puzzled when she saw me. My chest constricted as I looked at her. Warm tears leaked out of my eyes and slid down my cold face. "I messed up mom." I said, trying to talk over a sob. "I messed up really bad." Her face softened as she gathered me in her warm embrace. I wrapped my arms around her torso, crying into my moms shoulder for the first time since I was 10. But I knew this was worse than a broken leg. Much worse. A broken leg could be fixed, undone in time, like it had never happened in the first place. But I couldn't do that, no matter how much I wished I could.


	7. Chapter 6: I'm Sorry

**So I'm listening to Rap God while writing this. Not sure how that's gonna turn out. I'm gonna be updating frequently now, but there might a gap in the updates because I have a final &amp; ACT tests to prepare for, as well as a lot of stuff for dance. **

**Chapter Song (s): **

**Rap God~Eminem **

**Small Bump~Ed Sherran **

**Bad Day~Daniel Powter **

**Hurricane~Lifehouse**

**Breath Again~Sara Bareilles **

**Don't Fear The Reaper~Blue Öyster Colt **

**One More Night~Maroon 5 (Ending Scene) **

In this type of situation, avoidance was key. So was not having dreams about hunkalicious, but I couldn't exactly control those. I'd kind of over reacted when I went to my mom, but weren't teenagers known for that? Needless to say, my whole one night stand joke wasn't that funny to her any more. She was kind of pissed at me but what's done is done. I think she was just happy that I wasn't pregnant. I'd mapped out every escape route possible on campus, just in case I ran into him at any point during the day. Taking a deep breath and blowing it out through my nostrils, I set out for my first class, which just so happened to be EC Criminology. It was an offered extra credit course, and I was a crime nerd, so I'd acted on it. The room was warm and toasty as I walked into it, choosing a seat in the middle. The professor walked in, sitting on his desk and grinning up at us. He rubbed his hands together, sighing. "So, welcome to EC Criminology. I bet you're expecting this to be a easy, breeze by course for you to score some extra points with. Well, if that's the case, you are shitting yourself." I dropped my pen, my mouth doing the same. Was he allowed to say that? Guess so.

"I'm this class, you will dive deep into the minds of killers, pick apart their works by each and every thread. Are ready?"

"Yeah!" I shouted with the rest of the class, grinning.

"That's what I like to hear! Now...think fast! Name your favorite Serial Killer in 3,2, now!" He swung is finger toward a frat boy with his hand raised.

"Ted Bundy!" The kid hollered.

Another shouted "The Hillside Stranglers!"

When the finger pointed towards me, I shouted "Jack The Ripper!"

"Interesting choice, Ms...?"

"Fray."

"Why is The Ripper your favorite, Ms. Fray?"

"Well there's a certain art in how he kills. He arranges the victims organs in a specific array. And he does it seemingly in the whisper of a nanosecond."

"Thank you, Ms. Fray. What you just saw, guys, is what you're going to be doing this week. Write a 1, 300 word explanation paper of why your favorite serial killer is in fact your favorite. But, a picture is worth a thousand words. So all I will be expecting is a picture and a 300 word explanation, due Friday. See ya!" And with that, he walked out the door. We sat there in shock for a few seconds but then followed after him. Dang, collage was cool already.

I pulled a pair of small spandex black shorts on, along with a pink sports bra. Stuffing all of my stuff into my bag, I shoved my feet into some Uggs and pulled a sweatshirt and sweatpants over my tiny ensemble. Making sure I had my keys, I made the tread to the dance room. The teacher said that I could use it whenever I wanted, as long as it wasn't already being used. Closing the door behind me, I sat down in front of the ballet bar, pulling off my Uggs and sweatpants. I stuffed them into my bag along with my sweatshirt, pulling out my toe undiez, slipping them on my feet. As I stood up, I gathered my air into a tight ponytail at the top of my head. I stretched for about ten minutes and then stood up, plugging my iPod into the dock. I hit play on a random song, walking up to the mirror and getting in a beginning pose. As the music started, I launched into 3 chanie turns, landing in a tilt. Holding my leg and leaning, I closed my eyes and let myself mold to the music. My body twisted as I arched back and snapped forward, towards my flexed knee and foot, stretching them both, taking that leg, and using the momentum to turn myself. From there, I gave the music complete control of my body. I spun and twisted, moving fluidly through everything, missing the feeling of being on stage, of feeling this free. I hung my head low in my ending pose, breathing heavily, loose strands of hair sticking to my forehead with sweat. A slow clapping started, sounding like a bomb in the quiet room. I spun towards the door, eyes going wide. Jace stood there, his lean frame lounging against the door's border. He stopped clapping and shoved his hands into his pockets. "That was really good."

"Um, uh, thanks." I grabbed for my sweatpants and sweatshirt, needing to be covered even though my body was radiating heat. I grabbed my bag and headed for the door, trying to bypass him. He caught my arm, stopping me. Part of me wanted the drop kick him and run like a jacked up monkey, but another part of me was totally fine with what he was doing. "Can we like, talk or something?" The way his his pressed against mine could've made me say yes to murder at that point, so I nodded.

We ended up in a little coffee shop a few minutes from campus. I fiddled with my cup, finding it hard to meet his eyes. So, I let him lead the conversation. "So..."

I met his eyes for a brief second.

"So."

He sighed, appearing to be at a loss for the right words. "What do you remember?"

Well, I hadn't been expecting that. "Going to Pandemonium, meeting you, going to acid, letting Madeline turn me into a human glow stick, dancing a bit, abs then getting a few drinks...and just some snippets after that."

"What kind of snippets?" He seemed like he shared the same memories, so I actually told him.

"Just some dancing, a lot of drinking, leaving acid, walking around some places, and then..."

"Then?"

_No need to be shy, Clary._ "Sex."

He choked on his coffee. Coughing, he visibly had to recover into a normal stance. _Good. _

"Yeah, it's the same for me."

I wasn't sure what to say, so I just nodded.

"It wasn't...was it..."

I meet his eyes, pausing in the tearing up of my coffee sleeve.

"Was it what?"

He sighed, looking down at his hands.

"Was it your first?"

"Do you really want to know?" The look on his face said hell to the no, but he nodded.

"Yeah, it was."

"Shit. I'm sorry. No one-no one deserves their first time to be like that." Some twisted part of me wanted to console him, but I didn't.

"Thanks."

He looked at me like I had just said I was part lama. "_What_?"

"Thank you for actually caring about me."

"You shouldn't thank me for any of this."

"Hey, if I remember correctly, it takes two to tango."

He let out a harsh laugh. "That it does."

The awkwardness slowly slid away as we joked and talked about random stuff.

"What's your class schedule?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Stalker much?"

He grinned at me as I laughed. "I'm serious!"

"Okay, fine." I pulled up my schedule on my phone and showed it to him. "Hey, I have EC Criminology first, too."

"Really? I didn't see you there."

He shrugged. "I had some family stuff." It seemed like he didn't want to elaborate, so I didn't ask. "Okay. Well, the professor is hella awesome."

"Really?"

"Totally. But you have to write a 1,300 word paper on why your favorite serial is in fact your favorite. But, since a picture is worth a thousand words a, we only have to include a picture and a 300 word explanation."

"Sweet. When's it due?"

"Friday."

"Cool."

I glanced up at the clock. "Shit!" I shouted, the curse echoing in the empty shop.

Jace's eyes widened. "What?"

"It's three AM!"

"Seriously?"

"Yes!"

"Wow." He stopped me as I stood up. "Can I walk you to your dorm?"

I hesitated.

"You know, just so you don't get mugged or something." He said.

"Yeah...cause those campus police could be sleeping, and then I'd just be a helpless damsel."

He grinned. "See? You get it."

I followed him out. "That I do."

We stopped outside my dorm. "Thanks for the coffee, and...everything." I said, biting my lip.

His eyes lingered on my lips before they met my eyes. "No problem. It was...fun."

I gave him a tiny smile. "Well...goodnight." I turned towards my door, keys in hand. When I was about halfway there, I heard: "Clary, wait!" I turned, and a split second later he was there. And then, he was kissing me.


	8. Chapter 7: The Apple Tree

**Sorry this took so long guys. Life has been and will continue to go crazy for me. **

Chapter Song(s):

Battle Scars~Lupe Fiasco &amp; Guy Sebastian

Dance With The Devil~Breaking Benjamin

Belong~The Cary Brothers

I stood rigid, shock filtering through my system. Part of me wanted to pinch myself to make sure this was real. Another part of me wanted to kiss him back. So I raised up on my tip toes, gripping his wrists and breathing him in. I exhaled a deep breath, modeling against his body and running my hands up his arms, over his biceps, stopping on his cheeks. I broke away from him only long enough to breath, reconnecting our lips, opening mine. His tongue slipped in, running across mine and then moving with it. His hand bunched up the hair at the base of my scull as he held me to him, the other on my hip. By the time he broke away, my cheeks were flushed from more than just the cold.

The heat in his eyes threatened to melt me into a pile of goo. "So, based on that...would you like to go out with me?"

Based on that, I'd lick a statue if he wanted me to. But...

"No." I said, trying to compose my thoughts, which was kind of impossible as he ran his thumb across the skin my sweatshirt left exposed. "You're a kind of sloppy kisser." If I was honest, he was a amazing kisser. So much so that it actually physically hurt not to reach up and kiss him again.

"Sloppy? I'm perfect." Yeah, he totally wasn't wrong. As his finger slowly traced from the base of my scull to my cheek, I couldn't hold back the shiver that raked my body.

"Cold?" He asked.

Not exactly. "Um, yeah."

"Maybe you should go inside."

And leave him and his lips outside? I sighed. "Yeah, I guess I should."

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Save me a seat?"

I tore my gaze from his lips to his eyes.

"You get your own seat."

His chest vibrated against mine as he chuckled.

"Well okay then."

He set me on my feet and kissed the tip of my nose. "Goodnight, Clary." And then he was gone.

**—•—**

Oh my god. What the hell was I doing? Kissing someone who might as well be a stranger ever though you've had sex with them, and then wanting to follow around said someone after knowing the guy for all of 2 weeks? This wasn't me. Seriously worrying that an alien had burrowed itself into my cerebral cortex, I called Simon.

"Hey, my uglier half, what's—"

"I had sex." I blurted, cutting him off. I immediately wanted to slap myself afterwords.

"Um..."

"Yeah, sorry. It was kind of weird and icky to blurt that."

"Yeah, it kind of was."

"Sorry."

"Jesus, Clary."

I heaved a deep sigh, throwing myself onto the bed.

"Yeah. I know."

**—•—**

A heavy thud woke me the next day. I opened my eyes into thin slits, looking through the mass of curly red hair that covered my face.

"What?" I groaned, wishing I could just sleep this day away.

"Well someone's a Grumpy Gale."

"Wh—you know what? Never mind."

A deep chuckle tumbled from his chest, making me curl my toes inside my boots. His arm brushed mine as he sat down, and it tingled in response. He poked my nose with his pen, and I swatted it away. Figuring that he wasn't going to leave me alone any time soon, I picked my head up off my textbook, swiping my hand across my mouth quickly just incase I happened to have drool all over my face. Because that would just be gross. Professor Garroway strode in and immediately jumped on his desk. He was seriously the best teacher ever. "Look at the person next to you." He said. "Go on, do it."

I slid a look at Jace, catching his eyes already on me. My breath caught in my throat as his eyes slowly roamed my body as if he was memorizing every curve.

"Better pay attention, Sweetheart. Don't wanna get a bad grade." I blinked, forcing my gaze to the front of the room. "They could be a killer, for all you know. That's what makes killers so fascinating. No one knows who they are until they want them to."

I tuned him out after that, the word Sweetheart racing across my mind.

**—•—**

Art class came at the end of the day, but I barely focused on what I was doing. I ended up painting a canvas entirely black and then having a pink blob in the middle that somewhat resembled a flower. Sighing, I placed the canvas in the back of the room, grabbing a giant sketch pad instead. I drew the apple tree that I'd sat in almost every day. I grabbed a few pastels, coloring in the rich, green leaves and the crisp red of the apples, shading in the dark bark on the trunk. I set the pastel down when I was done, staring at the tree. I looked at that tree, and I hated it with every fiber of my being. I hated it because it reminded me of the life I was forced to leave behind. I looked from my hands that were stained from the pastels to the tree, and then back again. And suddenly all the anger that I had been holding back rushed to the surface, making my muscles pull tight. I stepped off of the stool, glaring at the drawing. And then I reached my hand forward, ripping it down the middle. I ripped it again and again, tearing at the thick paper even after it was shredded into tiny pieces on the floor. I dropped to the floor, breathing raggedly. I dropped my head into my head, bringing my knees to my chest. I let loose a sob as the first few tears raced down my cheeks. I'd left my life, my dad, and the apple tree I sat in when I visited his grave. I should've been there. This was the first year that I didn't set a candle on his grave on the day that he had died, because my mom had picked up both of our lives and raced us halfway across the country.


	9. Some of chapter 9 & an important message

**Chapter Song(s):**

**Crack The Shutters~Snow Patrol **

**Words~Skylar Grey **

**Losing Your Memory~Ryan Star **

**Fucking Perfect~P!nk **

**Dead In The Water~Ellie Goulding **

_My body moved with the music, and so did my attitude. The neon strip lights sparked against us every so often, and the smoke floated in the air. It smelled like cotton candy. I ran my hands through my hair, pushing it up my head like I'd seen people do on the television. My abs ached as I swayed my body, but in a good way. Every so often Jace and I would dance against each other, in synch. I felt so unlike myself, and I loved it. It probably had something to do with the smoke in the air and the neon green drink I had, but it could also be a side of me that had been hiding all along. And you know what? I actually had fun. Letting go felt so good, and I hated that I'd wasted my life avoiding it. My hair bounced, obscuring my view of people for a second as I jumped. And then I was thirsty again. Seriously, basing on all that I'd drank tonight, I should've needed to pee a lot more than I have. I headed over to the bar, and like all the other times, Jace followed me. I leaned against the counter with all of my weight, lifting myself up. I kicked my feet into the open air, looking at the menu. It was pretty blurred, so I just looked over at the person a few feet away. "I'll have that." I pointed to the person. The bartender rolled his eyes but started making it anyways. Someone tapped on my shoulder, and I turned around. My lips felt warm suddenly, and heavy, like a pressure was against them. I smiled and reached my arms out, twining them loosely around a warm neck. I pulled back, looking into gold eyes. "It's not nice to surprise people like that." I felt extremely light, like I was floating on a cloud. A cotton candy cloud maybe? Totally. Kissing felt good. It was really foreign to me, but it was still absolutely cool._

_ "You are such a terrible drunk." He said. _

_"I am? Good to know." I kept kissing him—it was honestly addicting. Wasn't I supposed to be waiting on something? Mm…nah. The rest of the night was a blur, but I loved every minute of it. _

I jolted awake, the memory of that night Jace had dragged me to Acid making my head spin. I shoved a hand through my hair, throwing the covers off in an attempt to cool my burning skin. Muscles deep in my stomach clenched when I thought of when we had left the club. Filled with more sexual frustration than seemed humanly possible, I figured some coffee would do me good. So would running for about 30 hours, but...running. Ew. Not bothering with putting shoes on, I zipped a sweatshirt, wishing it covered my sleep shorts. I pulled the tiny things down by the ruffles, hoping no one saw me. Grabbing my key, I headed out the door.

When I got there, I halted in the doorway, seeing someone sitting at one of the tables in the laid he area. My breath lodged in my throat &amp; refused to come out as I met the eyes of the table's occupant. He stood up, smiling at me. "Hey." Shaking my head I stood on the chair he had abandoned, my eyes level with his. "I can't get you out of my head." I said, my chest aching. "I can't think about anything else. And you know what? It sucks. Why should you matter so much? Why?"

He opened his mouth and then closed it, appearing at a loss for words. Keeping my gaze on his side eyes. I sighed, finally saying the words that I had been ignoring since I climbed out of his bed that morning. "I think I like you, like honest-to-god, little schoolgirl giggly crush kind of like you. And...God!" I threw my hands up, groaning. "I want you so, so much." Stepping forward, I grabbed his cheeks with my hands, bringing his lips to mine. I kissed him softly &amp; quickly, disconnecting our lips and opening my eyes but not moving even an inch. There was a moment when there was nothing. Just my eyes on his and our breath, the only sound in the room besides the air conditioner clicking on. Then all at once, he tugged me toward him, connecting our lips again &amp; lifting me off the chair. I hooked my legs around his waist as we twisted, my back smacking against the wall barely registering as I kissed him. It wasn't soft like I had kissed him at first. It was a rough, heated kiss of someone giving in to urges that kept them awake at night and left them aching. It wasn't gentle at all. My lips moved against his as our tongues entangled in a wild dance. A low growl came from him &amp; then a second later we twisted again, this time landing with my ass parked on the table he'd been using with my legs still hooked around his waist, I gasped in breath as I moved my hands from his cheeks to his hair, gripping the silky locks as he moved his hips forward against mine, causing a slow shiver to work its way through my body.

Gripping his shirt tightly, I broke away. I didn't move, not willing to spoil the way my body was feeling. My lips brushed against his as I spoke. "I can't."

His eyes searched my face ending up in my lips.

"Why not?"

_Why not? _The words echoed through my mind, making me wonder honestly..._why not? _What wasso wrong with doing what I so desperately wanted to? Nothing. Absolutelynothing.

**Sorry to stop you guys there, but I need to set a maturity level. How mature are you guys okay with this story getting? Basically, are lemons &amp; that sort of thing okay? Guys, please answer me in a review ASAP. The quicker you answer, the quicker I get to write the rest of the chapter &amp; post it! ~Mermaid12108 **


	10. Chapter 9:Risks

**Chapter Song(s):**

**Crack The Shutters~Snow Patrol **

**Words~Skylar Grey **

**Losing Your Memory~Ryan Star **

**Fucking Perfect~P!nk **

**Dead In The Water~Ellie Goulding **

_My body moved with the music, and so did my attitude. The neon strip lights sparked against us every so often, and the smoke floated in the air. It smelled like cotton candy. I ran my hands through my hair, pushing it up my head like I'd seen people do on the television. My abs ached as I swayed my body, but in a good way. Every so often Jace and I would dance against each other, in synch. I felt so unlike myself, and I loved it. It probably had something to do with the smoke in the air and the neon green drink I had, but it could also be a side of me that had been hiding all along. And you know what? I actually had fun. Letting go felt so good, and I hated that I'd wasted my life avoiding it. My hair bounced, obscuring my view of people for a second as I jumped. And then I was thirsty again. Seriously, basing on all that I'd drank tonight, I should've needed to pee a lot more than I have. I headed over to the bar, and like all the other times, Jace followed me. I leaned against the counter with all of my weight, lifting myself up. I kicked my feet into the open air, looking at the menu. It was pretty blurred, so I just looked over at the person a few feet away. "I'll have that." I pointed to the person. The bartender rolled his eyes but started making it anyways. Someone tapped on my shoulder, and I turned around. My lips felt warm suddenly, and heavy, like a pressure was against them. I smiled and reached my arms out, twining them loosely around a warm neck. I pulled back, looking into gold eyes. "It's not nice to surprise people like that." I felt extremely light, like I was floating on a cloud. A cotton candy cloud maybe? Totally. Kissing felt good. It was really foreign to me, but it was still absolutely cool._

_ "__You are such a terrible drunk." He said. _

_"__I am? Good to know." I kept kissing him—it was honestly addicting. Wasn't I supposed to be waiting on something? Mm…nah. The rest of the night was a blur, but I loved every minute of it. _

I jolted awake, the memory of that night Jace had dragged me to Acid making my head spin. I shoved a hand through my hair, throwing the covers off in an attempt to cool my burning skin. Muscles deep in my stomach clenched when I thought of when we had left the club. Filled with more sexual frustration than seemed humanly possible, I figured some coffee would do me good. So would running for about 30 hours, but...running. Ew. Not bothering with putting shoes on, I zipped a sweatshirt, wishing it covered my sleep shorts. I pulled the tiny things down by the ruffles, hoping no one saw me. Grabbing my key, I headed out the door.

When I got there, I halted in the doorway, seeing someone sitting at one of the tables in the laid he area. My breath lodged in my throat &amp; refused to come out as I met the eyes of the table's occupant. He stood up, smiling at me. "Hey." Shaking my head I stood on the chair he had abandoned, my eyes level with his. "I can't get you out of my head." I said, my chest aching. "I can't think about anything else. And you know what? It sucks. Why should you matter so much? Why?"

He opened his mouth and then closed it, appearing at a loss for words. Keeping my gaze on his side eyes. I sighed, finally saying the words that I had been ignoring since I climbed out of his bed that morning. "I think I like you, like honest-to-god, little schoolgirl giggly crush kind of like you. And...God!" I threw my hands up, groaning. "I want you so, so much." Stepping forward, I grabbed his cheeks with my hands, bringing his lips to mine. I kissed him softly &amp; quickly, disconnecting our lips and opening my eyes but not moving even an inch. There was a moment when there was nothing. Just my eyes on his and our breath, the only sound in the room besides the air conditioner clicking on. Then all at once, he tugged me toward him, connecting our lips again &amp; lifting me off the chair. I hooked my legs around his waist as we twisted, my back smacking against the wall barely registering as I kissed him. It wasn't soft like I had kissed him at first. It was a rough, heated kiss of someone giving in to urges that kept them awake at night and left them aching. It wasn't gentle at all. My lips moved against his as our tongues entangled in a wild dance. A low growl came from him &amp; then a second later we twisted again, this time landing with my ass parked on the table he'd been using with my legs still hooked around his waist, I gasped in breath as I moved my hands from his cheeks to his hair, gripping the silky locks as he moved his hips forward against mine, causing a slow shiver to work its way through my body.

Gripping his shirt tightly, I broke away. I didn't move, not willing to spoil the way my body was feeling. My lips brushed against his as I spoke. "I can't."

His eyes searched my face ending up in my lips.

"Why not?"

_Why not? _The words echoed through my mind, making me wonder honestly..._why not? _What wasso wrong with doing what I so desperately wanted to? Nothing. Absolutelynothing. Decision made, I curled a lock of his hair around my finger, smoothing my other hand over his cheek. "Good point." I said, to aching my lips to his again. This kiss wasn't soft or rough. It was more of an exploratory kiss, one that was savored. His hands tugged at the zipper of my sweatshirt, but I captured my hands in his. Because if this was happening, it wouldn't be here. "My room." I said.

Once we crashed through the door, we started losing clothes like our lives depended on it.

He slid my sweatshirt down my arms, and suddenly it was gone. The expected rush of cold never came, because his hands were on me again, fueling the flame that pulsed through my veins. His hands slid under the thin tank top, sliding his hand up my back. I broke the kiss, sucking in air. I shrugged his shirt off, what lay underneath stealing what little breath I had gathered away. I traced my fingers over the rigid muscles, the tan skin hot under my fingers. I brought my fingers from his chest to his cheek, looking into his burning golden eyes. I drew my lips back to his, breathing in his scent as my lips moved across his. I slipped my tank top off, my chest pressing against his. We moved to the bed, my back hitting cool sheets. I kept my legs hooked around his hips, toeing his pants down as much as I could. He slid them the rest of the way down, moving closer to me. Not more than a matter of seconds later, everything was off. His lips made a trail from my shoulder down to my navel, and then back up. I gasped, my back arching off the bed slightly. Jace climbed the rest of the way onto the bed, making my stomach tumble as his skin brushed mine. He kissed me again, my fingers threading through his hair.

I gasped, digging my fingers into his shoulders because suddenly he was inside me. The sensation was so odd yet so amazing at the same time. Locking my eyes with his, I gripped his shoulders as he slid out of me, pushing his way back in, and then repeating the same action over and over again. He throbbed inside me, the feeling overshadowed by the throbbing traveling through my skin and the rise building in the pit of my stomach. He thrusted into me over and over again, gaining speed. All at once, release slammed into me, sending me toppling over the edge. My eyes rolled back in my head as I gripped the sheets, my back arching. Warmth filled my body, leaving behind a peaceful feeling. I dragged in deep breaths as I felt Jace topple over the edge as well, collapsing on top of me.

Later that night, I was woken. I don't know what from. I blinked my eyes open. Looking down the the arm that circled me. Smiling, I closed my eyes again. No running. Not this time.

**Sorry, I know that sucked. But, what do you guys want to have happen next? I'm having a really hard time updating because I'm in high school now. I'm taking two honors courses, taking a pretty high level dance class, as well as a chorus class, and I've got stuff for all of my collage prep (CP) classes. And high school teachers? They LLOOVVEE homework. So, yeah. I'm trying to squeeze editing, writing, and life in general in with everything. Ugh. So, guys? Please give me a bit of wiggle room. There's a very good chance I won't be able to update. I really will try my best, but I can't promise anything. Until next time darlings, **

**Megan **


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